Ndudi Anyim
The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Ebonyi State Police Command have intercepted 753 live ammunition of General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) concealed in a sac, being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to Umuahia in Abia State.
According to CP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), who issued a statement on the development, intelligence-driven covert operation led to the interception and recovery of the deadly ammunition.
Mba said the operation is part of efforts by the Force to identify and crack down on criminal networks and supply chains for weapons and ammunition in and around the country.
He said comprehensive investigations aimed at bringing to book all persons linked to the crime are ongoing.
In another development, the FPRO said investigations into the foiled bank robbery in the Onueke branch of a commercial bank in Ebonyi State, which occurred on Tuesday, April 27, has led to the death of three suspects.
He said: “Police operatives led by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, on April 29, stormed the criminal hideout of suspects indicted in the investigations, located at Oriuzo village in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
“The suspects on sighting the Police squad, opened fire on them. The Police team engaged them gallantly and professionally. At the end, three members of the gang including two male and one female met their waterloo following bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire. Other suspects fled in different directions.
“Two AK47 riffles, five pump action guns, six pistols, 50 AK47 ammunition, 126, cartridges, Jack knives, cutlasses, and a 40-page notebook containing inventories of ammunition purchased by the gang were recovered.
“A Honda Pilot Jeep with Reg No. ABJ 163 NV used for the foiled bank robbery was also recovered by the Police Team. Unrelenting in their quest to apprehend the remaining suspects, the Police team traced the suspects to a shrine where the robbers usually go for mystical powers before embarking on their robbery operations.
“Two of the suspects were eventually arrested from the supposedly safe haven – the shrine, which led to the arrest of additional three members of the gang. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and their spiritual godfather – the chief priest of the shrine.”
He added that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, had while commending the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba, and officers of the command, for excellently harnessing intelligence to nip the crimes in the bud, assured citizens of the renewed commitment of the Force to improving public safety and combating all forms of violent crimes across the land.